Disclaimer: I have nothing to disclaim except disclaim itself! (Huh?)

Chapter One: "Rough and Tumble"

To say that Rukia was pissed would be…something of an understatement.

To say that she was somewhat hurt…would also be an understatement.

"Kaien-dono…why?" she asked, as she looked at the papers in front of her; transfer papers, sending her to the 11th Division.

Her mentor sat behind his desk, frowning at her. "It's for your own good, Kuchiki," he replied.

"But…"

"I can't help you any further here, girl," he replied, "You're better at Kido than I am, and power-wise I'm not sure even Sentaro and Kiyone combined could take you down. You're one of the youngest shinigami in history to attain shikai, and the ONLY one to do so without ever having graduated the academy." He smiled as she blushed slightly at the praise. "However, without actual challenge, you won't grow anymore than you have…the talent that you have, the potential, will be lost. I refuse to see that happen."

Rukia frowned. "But why the 11th?" she asked, "Those people…"

"Zaraki Kenpachi is the only commander I know who can help you at this point," Kaien replied, "The most of the others will simply bow to your brother's demands. The only ones that wouldn't are Zaraki and Ichimaru…and frankly, I don't trust that fox-faced creep."

Rukia found herself nodding slightly. She herself made it a point to avoid Ichimaru Gin as much as possible. The man was…to oily for her to like.

"You've got the chance to become a real force in the Seireitei, Kuchiki," the Shiba man continued, "What you need is to be toughened up, put through the wringer and back again. The 11th will take you, and forge you into the blade that I know you can be."

Rukia nodded. "I…don't like this, though," she replied, "I…I was happy…being in the 13th."

Kaien smirked, "I know, and if it wasn't for your brother you'd be staying here," he replied, "If I could seat you, and give you the training required to BE a seated officer, then I would. As it is, you'll get that and more in the 11th." He motioned to the papers. "Sign them, and then report to the 11th barracks in one hour. The fukutaicho of the 11th will meet you there." *Assuming she isn't as lost with old cyclops again,* he thought signed the papers.

oOoOoOo

Ikkaku smirked as he sipped from the bottle, before tossing it to his friend/rival Iba Tetsuzaemon. "Yeah, so Kaien came to us with this crazy idea," he spoke, "And of course, as soon as the captain heard it would piss off the nobles…"

"Hmmph," the mustached man grunted, "Well, he made the right choice in that regard. Still, you know he's gonna catch some flak for this." He took a long sip, before tossing the bottle back.

"Eh, I think he'd be more worried of Miyako than Kuchiki-taicho," Ikkaku replied, "Besides, Ukitake-taicho will back him. Hell, Kaien practically RUNS the 13th anyway. If he had bankai he'd be the taicho." He took a sip, before tossing the bottle over again.

"Eh, I don't think Kaien would ever want to be a real leader," he replied, taking another long draught, "He likes being able to have his wife in his division, and Yamamoto-sama frowns on captains having spouses in the same group. He'll stay at fukutaicho forever." He felt the bottle, before turning it upside down. "Sake's gone."

"WHAT!?!" Ikkaku screamed, "AGAIN!?! DAMNIT IBA! YOU ALWAYS DO THAT!"

"I can't help it if it evaporates," the 7th division fukutaicho replied, standing up lifting his zanpakuto with him.

"Bullshit!" the bald 3rd seat grumbled, "You take too big a drink each time I pass it over…you're gonna for pay it this time!"

Iba smirked, an eyebrow rising over his sunglasses. "You think so, huh?" he challenged, "Well only if you win this round!"

"Lets do it!" Ikkaku replied, picking up his own zanpakuto, Hozukimaru, currently in its shikai state of a bladed sansetsukon. He reached into his robes and brought out a small gold coin. "I get to toss it this time! HEADS!"

The coin tumbled through the air, landing on the ground between the two shinigami…tails up.

"DAMN IT!"

"HA!" Iba crowed in victory, "I get the high ground!" he leapt up to the roof of one of the nearby buildings.

"You use the same cheap trick over and over!" Ikkaku groaned, before smiling as he readied his weapon, "Okay then! Lets do it!"

"If you lose, you get the sake!" Iba reminded him.

"And if you win, you get to rest!" the bald fighter shouted back.

"LETS FIGHT!"

Such was the scene Rukia came upon as she walked into the courtyard of the 11th division; two grown men leaping about trying there level best to bash each other's brains in.

"…what have I gotten myself into?" she muttered as she watched the two shinigami trade blows back and forth.

This went on for several minutes, with Rukia wincing at several of the heavier impacts, before the two finally spilt apart, each panting heavily.

"Ummm, excuse me?" she spoke up, garnering their attention.

"Heh, I guess we'll have to call this one a draw, huh Iba?" Ikkaku asked, as he leaned on Hozukimaru for support, a trickle of blood seeping from a cut above his left eye.

Iba snorted, a gash on his left cheek leaking blood as well. "I guess so," he replied, "Just to be fair, I'll bring the sake next time. See ya next week?"

"Same time, same place old man," the bald fighter replied.

The fukutaicho of the 9th nodded, before walking off. He paused by the somewhat gobsmacked girl, and patted her shoulder. "Listen to Ikkaku here," he muttered, "And when you meet Zaraki-taicho…keep an open mind. He's a little off, but he has his own wise moments." He started to walk off, before pausing once again. "And for the love of the kami…don't give Yachiru any candy." With that he vanished, leaving the dark haired girl blinking.

"What in Shirayuki's name…?" she muttered, before walking forward. She approached Ikkaku, who had sealed his zanpakuto back into its katana form. "Umm, Ikkaku-san? I'm…"

"Kuchiki Rukia," the man replied, surprising the girl, "Kaien's told me all about you. He speaks very highly of you, y'know? You better give it your all here. I like the guy, and I'd hate to see him proven wrong."

"Yes, sir!" she replied, snapping to attention.

"OI! None of that now!" Ikkaku snapped, surprising the girl. "I may be the 3rd seat, but that doesn't really mean much in the 11th. We prove ourselves on the battle field, not with fancy titles. Hell, fancy titles are almost a sure fire way to get you beat up in this place…with your family name, you're gonna be in for a rough time of it. You wanna impress? Survive meeting the taicho first."

Rukia frowned. "I've never cared about being known for my name," she replied, feeling a little snappish, "I don't want special treatment…"

"And you won't get it here," Ikkaku replied, smirking, "But I'm glad you're showing some fire there…I was worried for a moment you were going to try and pull some 'fragile flower' bullshit. THAT would've earned you a quick death from Zaraki-taicho."

Rukia could tell that he was not kidding in the least.

"C'mon, I'm gonna show you around," he said, "Yachiru-fukutaicho is out with Zaraki-taicho, so it'll be a few hours before they show up. I'll introduce you around the division, and show you the training areas. If we hurry, maybe we can even compare our zanpakuto. Hozukimaru's a lazy bastard…maybe if I put him against your blade, he might start shaping up a bit."

"Okay…" the girl replied, "Ummm, I thought the fukutaicho was supposed…?"

"Eh, don't worry about it!" he laughed, rubbing his bald head, "Yachiru-chan will be here soon enough I'm sure. She and the captain are taking a walk, so we've got time. Come on, we can meet them in the main dojo."

oOoOoOo

Yamamoto was old beyond any reasonable measure. He was ancient even before the Seireitei had been built, and many thought he would still be there long after it crumbled to dust.

Despite his age, the man had strength enough to bring even an adjuchas-class hollow to its knees with a simple stare. He had a presence that could warm and chill at the same time, and a wisdom that practically defined the word.

It was his age and experience that earned him the rank of Sotaicho, commander of the 13 squads, and leader of the shinigami forces.

However, there were times like this, when he sincerely wished he could just retire.

"I demand that this transfer be reversed!" Kuchiki Byakuya, commander of the 6th division and leader of the most prestigious of the 4 noble families, spoke. "Kuchiki Rukia is a member of my house, and as such she does not belong with the riff-raff prevalent within the 11th division."

"Heh, perhaps you should have thought about that before putting that stupid restriction on her," Zaraki Kenpachi, commander of the 11th chuckled, "I always said you nobles needed a kick in the pants. Shiba just jumped the gun for me."

"I didn't do this so you could torment the girl, Zaraki-taicho," the fukutaicho of the 13th spoke up, leveling a glare at the man, "I did it for Rukia-san's own good."

"What possible good could come of her being in the 11th, Shiba-san?" Byakuya asked, turning to the dark haired man, "I wanted her in the 13th so she would be protected, while still getting the training that she needs."

"What she needs, she can't get because of what you did, Kuchiki-taicho," Kaien replied. The man turned to the Sotaicho. "Yamamoto-sama, Rukia-san has kido skills that rival that of even Ise Nanao, and she's the only person I've ever heard of to achieve shikai without receiving proper training with her zanpakuto. What she lacks is the battle experience and endurance that she could have received with the training seated officers go through."

"As interesting as that point is, Shiba-fukutaicho," the wizened leader replied, "Why the 11th? If her kido skills are as great as you say, wouldn't the 9th or the 8th have been better choices?"

"Honestly, no, Yamamoto-sama," Kaien replied, "As much as I respect Shunshui-taicho, he's…well, he's a lazy person. He basically leaves the running of the 8th to Nanao-san, and because of that she's too busy to train rookie shinigami like Rukia-san. As for the 9th? Tousen-taicho has my respect, but he would have just gone along with Kuchiki-taicho's order. He's not one to 'buck the establishment'."

"Ah, so that's why you chose the 11th," the leader of the 13 squads muttered, "I see."

"It's more than that," Kaien replied, "Ikkaku-san, Yumichika-san, and I were all in the academy together. I know them both, and I know they'll help her out. I also know that Zaraki-taicho will force her to improve. He'll bring out that fighting spirit that was going to waste."

"I will not let this stand," Byakuya spoke up, "Rukia does not belong…"

"If you were so concerned about her safety, you should never have let her become a shinigami in the first place!" Kaien growled, "Instead, you let her become one, then try to limit her? Your own actions will get her killed one of these days! The 11th may be a rough crowd, but they take care of their own just like the rest of the divisions except yours."

"What are you implying, Shiba-fukutaicho?" the stoic captain asked.

"You take your 'nobility' and constantly cram it down everybody's throat," Kaien replied, "You forget, I'M nobility as well, and the Shiba clan has been noble just as long -if not longer- than the Kuchiki! However, neither I nor my clan 'flaunt' our heritage like you do. Now, you've forced that nobility on a girl who could possibly become one of the greatest shinigami I've ever known…and you're holding her back."

Byakuya's eyes narrowed at the other man. "I am only trying to protect…"

"Protecting a person doesn't mean holding them back," Yamamoto spoke up, surprising the two men, "I can understand your concerns, Kuchiki-taicho, but Kaien-fukutaicho has a point. If your sister is to truly grow into her powers, she needs challenges that can force her to improve."

"Oh, I'll challenge her alright," Zaraki grinned, "She ain't getting any special treatment. If she survives her first assignment, she'll probably amount to something great."

Yamamoto raised an eyebrow. "Survives her first assignment?" he asked, "Just what did you do, Zaraki-taicho?"

The 11th division captain grinned.

oOoOoOo

"…and this is our main training ground," Ikkaku finished, showing off the wide open area, filled with rocks, broken and dead trees, and areas that appeared to be scorched. "We even get Hitsugya-taicho showing up from time to time to train with his zanpakuto…the 11th division training field is the largest and most rugged field in the Seireitei, and we put that space to good use."

Rukia nodded, frowning at some of the broken trees. *Miyako-dono would be so upset,* she thought, *Those poor trees…*

"Well, seems like we still have some time before Zaraki-taicho shows up," he said, "How about we compare our zanpakuto?" He unsheathed his blade. "Yumichika said he liked your blade's shikai…lets see it."

Rukia nodded, pulling her own blade. "Are you sure its alright?" she asked, "I don't want to risk…"

"Nobody's gonna care," Ikkaku replied, "Besides, I'm much stronger than you think. You're gonna find that no one in the 11th wants to be treated with kid gloves. Give me everything you got…because I'm going to give you everything I got!"

Rukia's eyes widened as her new superior's reishi flared. She watched as he slammed the but of his blade's hilt into the sheath.

"GROW! HOZUKIMARU!"

The blade was surrounded by a white glow, before extending into a long pole with a red tassel on one end, and a sharp naginata blade on the other. The pole then spilt in three, with a black chain connecting the pieces. The bald man chuckled, expertly swinging the sections about, before settling into a ready stance. "Don't hold back, Rukia-san…I want everything you can throw at me!" he shouted.

Rukia swallowed, but focused her power. She would not be embarrassed on her first day.

The blade slid from its sheath with practiced ease, and she felt the familiar, comforting presence of her zanpakuto's spirit singing her song. *Aide me, please,* she thought.

"Dance…SODE NO SHIRAYUKI!"

The air around her grew cold, as specks of ice circled around her. The white tassel spun out from the base of her blade's hilt, even as it changed color to is brilliant white form.

Ikkaku wasn't one to normally appreciate beauty, unless it was in a fight. Even so, he had to admit that Rukia's blade was quite the sight.

"Nice looking blade!" he called over, spinning Hozukimaru around before holding it out in a basic guard stance. "I can see why Yumichika would go gaga over it."

"Sode no Shirayuki's not vain by any means," Rukia replied, sliding into one of the first stances that Kaien had taught her, her blade held out and away from her body with her left foot forward, slightly hunched over, "Still, she does appreciate the complement."

"Heh, if only Yumichika's Fuji Kujaku was like that," the bald man replied, "Now…show me some skill!"

He shot forward, thrusting the bladed tip at the girl. She quickly spun her blade around, knocking the attack asside, before trying to thrust it forward and into her opponent.

Ikkaku smiled, separating the staff into its linked form, and using the rear portion to counter the thrust. He shot his leg forward, trying to catch her in the stomach, but she leapt back and avoided the blow. She stood, panting for a few seconds, before pulling her blades sheath from her robe.

"Going to try and use the sheath as a weapon?" Ikkaku asked, smirking, "Not a bad idea, but not a good one either. I know Kaien's fighting style girl…which means I know yours too."

Rukia's eyes widened. *He's right,* she thought, *If he knows what Kaien-dono would do…then he knows what I'm planning.*

"The sheath throw is a good distraction technique," Ikkaku continued, "But it only works once, and only if its done quickly. If you don't, then it's a simple matter for your opponent to sidestep it and charge in while you're regaining your balance."

Rukia frowned, but shifted her stance and prepared to throw.

Ikkaku frowned. *Stubborn, ain't she?* he wondered, *It'll serve her well here…but not if she won't learn from her mistakes.* "Still going to try it?" he muttered, "Okay…but remember this; if you wind up in the 4th division's care before you meet Zaraki-taicho, he's gonna be angry. That won't bode well."

"I…will take my chances, Ikkaku-sempai," Rukia replied, holding her stance.

"Sempai, huh?" Ikkaku grinned, shifting Hozukimaru back into its staff form, "…kinda like the sound of that. Who'da thought?" He laughed, then leveled the blade at the girl again. "You got guts girl…I like you already."

He shot forward, his blade aimed at her head.

*I have to time this just right,* Rukia thought, tensing her muscles. *It must be flawless. It…

must…

be…

PERFECT!*

For a moment, time seemed to stand still, and all of her senses seemed to become hyper-stimulated. She could smell the earth, and the sweat along Ikkaku's brow. She could hear each thunderous footstep as he sped towards her. She could see the droplets of water sliding down Shirayuki's blade.

She could feel…the moment!

"NOW!" she shouted, hurling the blade forward, before sliding into a new stance.

Ikkaku deftly sidestepped the incoming projectile, only for his eyes to widen as he saw the girl literally disappear before his eyes.

"SOME NO MAI! TSUKI SHIRO!"

"SHIT!" the third seat cried, leaping out of the cold circle that now rested beneath his feet. He quickly released the catches on Hozukimaru, swinging the staff around to catch the incoming blade, before smashing the middle section against the dark haired girls temple.

She fell backwards with a cry, a trickle of blood forming from a small cut on her brow. She struggle to stand, only to stop as the blade-tip of her new superiors weapon came to rest between her small breasts.

"That…was…pretty good!" Ikkaku grinned, "I forgot about those ice powers of your zanpakuto's. Stupid of me, Kaien warned me about that." He looked at the tower of ice that had formed. "Wow, now that's…cool." He grinned, ignoring the groan the girl gave his bad pun. "You got some real talent buried inside that little frame of yours."

"Don't…call me little," the girl muttered.

"Oh, got a thing about that huh?" he asked, smirking, "Believe me when I tell you, you're going to get over THAT real fast. The fukutaicho will take care of that, and Zaraki-taicho will make sure the only thing you care about is the fight."

He pulled the blade away from the prone girl, helping her to her feet. She retrieved her blades sheath, and the pair re-sealed their zanpakutos.

"Ikkaku-sempai," Rukia muttered, "I…I want to grow stronger. I don't want to let Kaien-dono down. Can…can you help me?"

Ikkaku grinned, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Kid, everyone in the 11th will help you out with that," he replied, "We may not be the most sophisticated group in the Seireitei, but we take care of each other. You can trust that we'll take care of you too."

"Ikky-chan!"

Ikkaku groaned. "Oh, sweet Kami-sama, she came up with a new one," he muttered, ignoring the sudden bulge in his new subordinates eyes.

A small, pink haired mass suddenly landed on the bald haired man's back, causing him to grunt. Big blue eyes gazed down at the newest 11th member with open affection, and Rukia found herself at a loss as to how to respond.

"Oh! You must be our new member!" Kusajishi Yachiru spoke up, smiling, "You're Kyua-chan's little sister right? What's your name, Chibi-kyua?"

Now Rukia knew how to respond. "My name is Rukia, not Chibi-kyua!" she growled, "Don't call me chibi!"

"But you are chibi!" Yachiru replied, hopping over to the other girls shoulders and causing her to grunt, "If Chibi-kyua won't work, then I'll call you Ru-chibi! Yeah, that'll work!"

"I am not chibi!" Rukia growled.

Ikkaku just laughed.

oOoOoOo

When Zaraki returned to the 11th's barracks, he was greeted by a site unusual even for him.

Much of the court yard, and a portion of the barracks themselves, were covered in ice. Many of the lower grunts in the division were out and about, shouting a mix of insults and catcalls at the pair currently dueling in the center of the yard.

*Heh, that must be my new soldier,* the spike-haired captain thought as he watched the small, dark haired girl swing her blade wildly, trying to catch the speedy form of his adopted daughter.

"He he he heee!" Yachiru's voice carried over the wind, "Ru-chibi, Chibi-kyua, Frosty-chibi…so many good ideas!"

"I AM NOT A CHIBI, DAMN IT!" the girl screeched, her face red as laughter burst out around the barracks from the observing members.

Kenpachi chuckled, amused at the display as his fifth and third seats walked up to him. "Well, we've been meaning to redecorate for a while anyway," he laughed, as another wave of frozen energy washed over one of the outer walls, freezing it solid. "So, this our new chew toy?"

"Yes, taicho," Yumichika replied, "You must admit, her zanpakuto is very lovely. I'm quite jealous."

Zaraki nodded, admiring the pure white blade as Rukia finally collapsed from the strain of trying to catch Yachiru. "Nice one," he said, "We'll teach her how to use it right. So, what's her time?"

"Five hours and twenty-eight minutes," Ikkaku replied, "She tried some Kido and Bakudo first to slow Yachiru down, but we all know how that works on her. After that, she relied on zanjutsu and some light shunpo…I get the feeling she's not as confident with that move as her brother is."

Zaraki nodded. "Endurance?"

"Very low," Yumichika replied, "We're going to have to work from the ground up. Still, there's fire beneath that ice."

The man nodded, before letting some of his reiatsu leak from his form, causing the panting girl to fall to her knees even as she was standing up.

He walked towards her, smiling viciously as she looked up at him in fear. "Such…pressure…* she thought, as the tall…monster…stopped in front of her. *I…I can't…move…*

"Welcome to the 11th, girl," he said, "You just passed your test."

"…t…t-test…" she whimpered, struggling to breath beneath the oppressive aura of her new captain.

"Not many can hold out for five hours while chasing Yachiru, even in this division," he said, "You got some spirit…so I'm going to bring it all out." He reached down, grabbing a hold of her robe and pulling her to her feet. "You'll be working with me personally for your first few weeks kid…you get to learn how to focus that reishi of yours like I can, and you just MIGHT be worth this transfer."

Rukia could only gulp at the number of winces she saw from her new squad members.

"We take care of our own, Kuchiki," Zaraki continued. "We'll make you a fine shinigami, and you'll make us a stronger squad. Deal?"

"…y-yes…ta-taic-cho!" she replied.

Zaraki grinned…and it frightened her even more.

Life…was going to get interesting.

Chapter End.